Yellowstone History Tours

To walk in the footsteps of the colorful characters of Yellowstone’s past, one day is not enough to cover all the stories and witness all the locations.  With that said, we can certainly fill a day with a myriad of tales!  From indigenous groups who called Yellowstone home many moons before it became our world’s First National Park, to the hearty mountain men and fur trappers; to the adventurous and fact-seeking explorative expeditions; to the US Calvary and the National Park Service times.

There are countless tales in numerous locations throughout the park. Dependent upon your personal interest and physical abilities, we can stay road-based for this tour option, or mix it up with an off-the-beaten path walkabout to see some of Yellowstone’s past in the present.

Tour Times

Your guide will plan to meet you early enough to beat the heat and travel the Upper Grand Loop Road before the mid-day crowds.

Summer Season Only – 7am  

 Winter Season – this tour option is not offered during winter months when much of the park roads are closed to wheeled vehicles. Historical tales are always woven into your guide’s daily banter…. Just ask for stories!

Sample Itinerary

Your personal and private History Tour begins early enough to beat the summer heat and travel the historic Upper Grand Loop Road before the mid-day crowds. We will meet you at your lodging or another pre-determined location.

During a typical one day History Tour, we could begin along Yellowstone’s Northern Range where we parallel the old Bannock Trail, used by many early tribes that traveled this region.  Throughout the tour your guide will spin tales from past Park experiences that will only help to fuel your curiosities about this amazing place.

Do you think you would jump into a pool of hot water if a deity told you it would benefit your people?  How about surviving in a wilderness setting for 37 days, with nothing but the clothes on your back?  Imagine representing the US Army and drawing your six-shooter revolver on a man with a buffalo gun who is more than willing to shoot back.  Come see a grand canyon that’s so deep and wide, that it was once said, “If you yell at the top of your lungs, your echo will wake you up the next day!” Do you imagine you’d survive after being shot three times, in your knee, hip and head, only to then be left for dead and burned by a fire? Well folks, one man did just that back in Yellowstone’s earlier days.

There are countless tales found through Yellowstone’s vast history. We hope to conclude your guided day with a greater appreciation of the past and present of our world’s first National Park.

Choose a single day tour to focus in-depth on one topic, or select a different subject for each day of a multi-day tour.

INCLUDED

  • door-to-door guide service
  • an upscale continental breakfast
  • beverages
  • binoculars (Nikon & Bushnell)
  • high-powered spotting scopes (Swarovski and Nikon) managed by your guide.

NOT INCLUDED

  • gratuities for your guide
  • Yellowstone National Park entrance fee
  • airfare
  • transportation to/from airport
  • hotel accommodations
  • rental car

Imagine what Yellowstone National Park was like back in 1900.  See the same sights that have been preserved for over 140 years. Walk the same trails as indigenous tribes and look for signs of Yellowstone’s past inhabitants.

Get inspired by scrolling through our gallery, or click on a photo to learn more!

Tour Rates


Children under 5 are free!

ONE-DAY TOUR RATES

1-2 people = $850.00
3-4 people = $1,050.00
5-6 people = $1,250.00

MULTI-DAY RATES

Additional days after the first will be discounted at the amount of $50 per day.

Ready to book your yellowstone experience?

Testimonials

 

Wow, Wow and Wow!

“We used Yellowstone Insight and had the best day.  After the tour my grandson said , I learned more today about history than I’ve learned all year in school I think that sums it up. If you are thinking of calling MacNeil - do it! You will not be sorry.”

Kerry
Scottsdale, Arizona

MacNeil Lyons, The Best Yellowstone Guide Ever!

This guy is a master at coordinating a three-generation Yellowstone trip! In August our family, including grandchildren ages 14,11, and 9, spent two fabulous days learning about Yellowstone with MacNeil. He turned the geology of Yellowstone into a science lab, on a walk we "discovered" a Bison carcass, and all of this plus plenty of fun and a great breakfast to meet the needs of all ages. He is a smart and funny charmer. Don't even think about going to Yellowstone without talking to MacNeil first!

Jim P.
Bainbridge Island, WA

Exceeded our expectations by a wide margin!

Beth and I wanted to let you know how great our tour was. You did an outstanding job for us and it exceeded our expectations by a wide margin. We really enjoyed the time we had together and it was the highlight our trip and a fabulous wedding anniversary present for Beth. It was very memorable and only gets better in the retelling...!

J. Levine
Australia

MacNeil is an excellent guide, ranks up there with the very best!

MacNeil is an excellent guide, I've spent some time with wildlife guides both at home and  abroad and he ranks up there with the very best.

Dan and Hazel

The best day ever spent in nature! Thanks for making a magical experience!

Wow. Simply wow! Nancy and I are still reverberating with all we saw and learned on Sunday.  It was the best day, by far, that either of us has ever spent in nature, so many thanks for making it such a magical experience. He's an amazing naturalist and guide...I've taken a series of Sierra natural history classes with "experts", but MacNeil was by far the best.

Ellen
San Francisco

Better than advertised…guys like you make trips to Yellowstone, Lifetime Events!

We had a fantastic time with you! Better than advertised and would highly recommend you to anyone considering a great adventure in Yellowstone. We are all very impressed with your knowledge of the area and its wildlife, and your story telling. Guys like you make trips to Yellowstone ‘lifetime events’ that won't be soon forgotten.

Vicki & John
Houston, Texas

The most memorable visit I have ever had!

Thank you MacNeil for an absolutely fabulous trip and for your patience and expertise which made this one of the most memorable visits I have ever had, anywhere! I do hope to be able to come over to see you all again before too long.

David, Doha, Qatar

Thanks for providing a customized & memorable adventure for us!

Thank you so much for a phenomenal three days. Your vast knowledge and excitement  about Yellowstone brought so much more depth, meaning, and life to our experience than we could have gotten on our own. With your photography expertise and use of scopes, we were all able to come away with amazing photos. We greatly appreciated your attention to detail, thoughtfulness, and hearing about your experiences in the area. Thank you for going out of your way to provide a customized and most memorable adventure for us.

Bob, Sandy, & Shari
Maryland

Worth Every Penny!

My family was able to visit Yellowstone in September.  We hired MacNeil and were truly impressed by his knowledge of the park and wildlife.  The kids were able to experience a once-in-a-lifetime, bull elk fight beside a mother grizzly bear and her 3 cubs.  The kids are still talking about the experience months later and always ask when they can see MacNeil again!  I think we will have to schedule another trip to Yellowstone just for MacNeil. The guided experience was worth every penny.  I would highly recommend this tour to anyone who would be in the area. You would never realize how much you have missed on your own in the park until you have spent a day out with MacNeil.

Beth H.
Missouri

Appreciated the geology, botany, history and current political dilemmas!

We thoroughly enjoyed our day with you. We saw so much and learned so much about so many different aspects of Yellowstone while you made our day comfortable, safe and fun. Pretty amazing that we were able to see so many animals in a day. Wolves, grizzly, fox, coyote, bison, mountain goats, big horn sheep, elk, raven (I probably left something out). I appreciated the geology, botany, history, and current political dilemmas. Thanks so much for guiding us, and for all you do on behalf of Yellowstone and it's creatures.

The Wilson's
Portland, OR

Being able to see the places you hold dear to your heart made us enjoy Yellowstone even more!

From the first moment, you made our journey enjoyable. We all benefited from your upbeat personality and vast amount of knowledge. You showed us the wolves in their natural habitat and how to detect different animal remains... Being able to see the places you hold dear to your heart really made us enjoy Yellowstone even more. Once again, thank you for taking us on a journey we all immensely enjoyed!

YSD High School
Denver, CO.

Both our boys are on the autism spectrum, yet with your help, you engaged them the whole time!

You were very knowledgeable and personable and we all learned a lot from your time with us.  The time and preparation you put into having things for the boys was so appreciated! Both of our boys are on the autism spectrum, so we knew the tour would be a real stretch for them... We hoped to keep them a little engaged and make it through at least a few hours... Instead, we made it almost the whole time with your help...  It was a wonderful experience for our family.

The Robbins
Houston, TX